The Song of the Trenches: The Simsimiyya and the Epic of “Welad El-Ard” in the Suez of Resistance
By Abdel latif Moubarak
In the Egyptian and Arab collective memory, the city of Suez does not merely represent a geographical border located at the southern entrance of the canal that bears its name; rather, it embodies a true pact of blood and pride, a living symbol of what is defined as popular resistance. Throughout its modern history, this land has had to face repeated incursions and bombardments, first repelling the forces of British colonialism and then facing the bitterest battles of the contemporary era in the aftermath of the June 1967 war.
In that fiery atmosphere, where the roar of cannons blended with the hiss of the wind coming from the gulf, the rifle was not the only weapon defending the honor and integrity of the city. From the darkness of shelters and trenches emerged a weapon of a different nature, made of words, melodies, and hope, which found its highest expression in the rhythms of the simsimiyya—the traditional stringed instrument of the region—and in the artistic and militant experience of an extraordinary man who loved his land to the point of naming his historic group “Welad El-Ard” (The Sons of the Land).
Captain Ghazali: The Confluence of Athletics, Art, and Struggle
That man was Captain Mohamed Ahmed Ghazali, born in Suez in November 1928, whose youth was an incredible blend of physical, artistic, and patriotic disciplines. A champion and coach of Greco-Roman wrestling and gymnastics, a meticulous calligrapher, and an untiring activist, Ghazali had already experienced the hardships of armed struggle by participating in the historic fedayeen operations against the British occupation troops in the early 1950s.
It was precisely this unique combination of athletic rigor, aesthetic sensitivity, and dedication to the cause that forged his character, rendering him ready to lead the battle of awareness and morale when official structures faltered due to the defeat of 1967. Facing the occupier’s attempt to break the Egyptian spirit through psychological warfare, Ghazali understood that the response had to be immediate and even more penetrating than bullets. He thus transformed his workshop and library into a reception center for displaced soldiers and a hotbed of cultural resistance.
The Birth of the Ensemble and the Militant Simsimiyya
Thus, in an entirely spontaneous manner on the street in front of his studio, the “Welad El-Ard” ensemble was born—a collective formed by young workers, fishermen, small artisans, and soldiers united by a common refusal to surrender. The group began its activity by spreading a simple military blanket on the ground to intone songs of defiance, later moving inside fortified trenches to escape the constant aerial bombardments.
Captain Ghazali chose to revive the simsimiyya, an instrument of ancient Pharaonic origins historically linked to the life of fishermen and coastal leisure, stripping it of its traditional romantic and elegiac themes to clothe it in a powerful epic and combative character.
Under the fingers of the group’s musicians, the instrument was transformed into a sort of musical machine gun whose pressing rhythms resonated along the front line. It translated news of fedayeen operations and the sacrifices of martyrs into immediate songs, serving as a genuine popular news bulletin capable of cementing solidarity between soldiers and civilians.
Song as Fuel for National Mobilization
The lyrics written by Ghazali, characterized by a vernacular poetry that was simple yet deeply rooted in the soul of his people, became immortal anthems for the entire Egyptian nation, celebrating the determination of the fighters and mourning with dignity the loss of heroic figures who fell under enemy fire.
The scope of Welad El-Ard did not remain confined to the trenches of Suez alone; the group undertook an extensive touring activity that led them to perform in military camps deployed all along the front and in various provinces of the country where displaced citizens had been taken in, thereby keeping the bond with their homeland alive and constantly fueling the hope of return.
Their performances at universities, starting with the Faculty of Engineering in Alexandria, ignited the enthusiasm of the student movements of the 1970s, transforming the popular song of Suez into the ideal fuel for demands of national redemption. However, this fierce political independence and refusal of any ideological submission cost Ghazali arrest and exile to the city of Banha in 1973. Yet, the notes and words of his group continued to circulate freely as an intangible heritage that could not be confiscated.
Victory and an Enduring Legacy
With the historic victory of October 1973 and the legendary resistance of the city of Suez against enemy penetration attempts, Welad El-Ard finally saw the fulfillment of the great objective for which it was born. Faithful to the conviction that the group was the product of an exceptional circumstance and a precise historical mission, Captain Ghazali decided to officially disband the ensemble immediately after the conflict, believing that once weapons were laid down, the fighters should return to the factories and fields to undertake the reconstruction of the country.
Despite the formal dissolution, the cultural and artistic legacy of Welad El-Ard has remained extraordinarily alive across generations, being celebrated in cinematographic documentaries and integrated into the traditional repertoire of current musical groups in the Canal region.
The passing of Mohamed Ahmed Ghazali in April 2017 in his beloved Suez marked the definitive transition of this extraordinary protagonist into history, leaving unchanged the power of his message. It continues to demonstrate how culture and authentic art, when born from the suffering and truth of a people, know how to become the immortal guardians of a nation’s identity and freedom.
